But 0-60 is not what defines sportiness, it's the total package including handling and driver engagement & feel.
Case in point: The Miata is one of the all time great sports cars, and it does not accelerate quickly.
The 2005 onward NC model Mazda MX-5 Miata: A test by Car and Driver magazine revealed a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 6.5 s for the 2.0 L (120 cu in) U.S.-spec NC[1]
I suspect the average MX-5 owner is quite happy with the characteristics their vehicle. Hell, I consider my long wheel base turbo diesel VW T5 Transporter quite sport to drive. For a (very basic) camper van.
Also, the Miata is also widely considered a unique sports car. Sure, handling plays a role - but most people consider Camaros and Trans-Ams sports cars also. If the 3 is as nimble as the miata, it could earn a spot in the sporty list through its agility- but the original post referred to the 3's 0-60 as the reason to consider it sporty. Case in point, no one considers a CRX 'sporty.'
I have a Model S 85, with a 0-60 time similar to what Tesla is claiming for the Model 3. A couple of months ago I had a Cadillac ATS rental which also has a similar 0-60 time. It was a decent car overall, but it felt like an absolute snail compared to my S. Floor the accelerator in the S and you go. Floor it in the ATS and Stuff begins to Happen, and Eventually the car begins to Move. I assume they have similar numbers because the ATS makes up for it with better acceleration as you get closer to 60, but most acceleration I do isn't a pure 0-60 run, but 0-30, or 10-40, or whatever.
* know you need to accelerate ahead of time
* hit the exact right RPM before the clutch drop
* don't mind the noise, burning tires, and clutch wear
* have perfect traction, weather, straight road, temperature
* execute two perfect shifts
With normal driving you also have to worry about what gear you are in, what gear you want to be in, handling the throttle in the mean time, and turbo lag. By the time you go from say cruising on the highway in 6th and full throttle in 3rd the model 3 will already have a substantial jump on you.
The telsa on the other hand is pretty simple, just stomp. There's no wrong gear to be in, no shifting, not much noise (traction control and no gas motor). In a wide variety of situations a Tesla model 3 (at least the large range version) is going to feel faster than a WRX. I have had both a forester xt and a WRX.
